Batman Begins (DC Filmverse)
Batman Begins was a 2005 film set in the DC Filmverse. It is a reboot of the Batman franchise of films, following an 8 year hiatus after the release of 1997's Batman & Robin. Directed by Christopher Nolan, the film was the first in the joined DC Filmverse and starred Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne, a billionaire who, motivated by the deaths of his parents, swears to fight the criminal elements of Gotham City. Production The Batman franchise was highly successful until the release of Batman & Robin. The underperformance of that film (combined with the failure of Steel the same year) caused a halt on future productions based on DC comics. Ideas for a 5th film in the Batman franchise were considered, but ultimately scrapped in favor of several ideas, ranging from Batman: Year One to a crossover with a rebooted Superman franchise. After several scripts were considered and rejected, in 2003 DC Films hired British director Christopher Nolan to direct and co-write the script (alongside screenwriter David S. Goyer) for a completely rebooted Batman franchise, which would serve as the introductory film in the DC Filmverse. After an exhaustive casting search which saw several actors tested, it was decided that British actor Christian Bale would become the new Dark Knight (beating out a field that also included Henry Cavill, who would later be cast as Superman in the following year's Man of Steel.) Gary Oldman would soon after join the cast of Police Detective James Gordon, while Michael Caine was cast to play Alfred Pennyworth. Plot Summary Coming Soon... Cast List * Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne/Batman- A billionaire who is secretly a masked vigilante who fights crime on the streets of Gotham, due to the trauma of losing his parents as an 8-year-old. * Michael Caine as Alfred Pennyworth- The loyal butler and guardian to Bruce Wayne after the death of Thomas and Martha Wayne. * Maggie Gyllenhaal as Rachel Dawes- An assistant district attorney in Gotham City who idealistically fights against the criminal underworld of Gotham. She was also a childhood friend of Bruce Wayne. * John Malkovich as Victor Zsasz- A notorious serial killer who has been plaguing the streets of Gotham for several months at the time of the film. * Cillian Murphy as Johnathan Crane/Scarecrow- A psychological researcher at Arkham Asylum who utilizes patients to conduct his twisted experiments on fear. * Frank Vincent as Carmine Falcone- One of the rulers of Gotham's underworld and the man behind the murders of Thomas and Martha Wayne, indirectly. * Gary Oldman as Det. James Gordon- A member of the GCPD who becomes allied with the young Batman. * Vincent Pastore as Commissioner Loeb- The commissioner of police in Gotham City. * Tom Wilkinson as Rupert Thorne- A wealthy business tycoon who may or may not have ties to the criminal underworld of Gotham, who is also seeking a buyout of Wayne Enterprises. * Morgan Freeman as Lucius Fox- The current CEO of the struggling Wayne Enterprises, which has languished since the disappearance of Bruce Wayne and death of Thomas Wayne. In addition, Aaron Eckhart appears in a post-credits scene as Harvey Dent, a candidate for District Attorney. Linus Roache and Sara Stewart play Thomas and Martha Wayne respectively. Mark Boone Jr plays Arnold Flass, the corrupt partner of Jim Gordon. Lenny Venito plays Joe Chill, the man hired to assassinate a noted political figure but who kills the Wayne's instead.